A friend and I took our four daughters on a long walk. On the return trip, with a mile to go, my friend’s daughter declared that she had to use the bathroom and no, it couldn’t wait. Immediately the girl was showered with suggestions from the group – knock on that door, go in the [...]

“My teacher is mean. It’s going to be a terrible year.” “None of my friends are in my class. I’m going to be alone.” “I don’t think I took the right classes to get into college (4 years from now.) Like a tropical storm, the deluge of stressful thoughts made landfall as predicted in the [...]

A kind word can change a life. Even when it seems as if children aren’t listening, they do value your expertise and rely on your support. One of the many priveleges I enjoy as a mother and an educator is the opportunity to impart wisdom to young people. I’ve had a new opportunity to do [...]

If you’ve followed me long enough, you know that I’m no fan of ‘luck.’ (Click here for a previous post on the subject.) Luck, in the traditional sense of the word, is a disempowering concept. However, this St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve decided to take the word less seriously and adopt a broader definition. Let’s agree for a [...]

I stare out at the third snow storm in a week and am humbled by the fact that there is no control over Mother Nature. Tempted to throw negativity at the incovenience created by New England winter weather, I remind myself that I actually choose to live here. Putting up with storms is part of [...]